PROJECT

I mentioned in a previous post that we are having
hardwood floors installed. So, Boyd was home
on Friday and started pulling carpets.

This is a closet in the hall that we are using part of it in the bedroom (another
project) so this half we are keeping accessible from the hallway as a
linen closet. He will also be texturing the walls
and getting them painted. . . pictures to follow in another
future post.

This is the front room with the carpet pulled, before he had the pad
pulled. The pad is gone now. . . no picture.

This is the kitchen floor before demo man started.
I've always liked the classic black and white tile.
Boyd laid the tile about 15 years ago.
But tile is very unforgiving on you back if you are
standing for any length of time. It is also
unforgiving on anything that drops on it.
The grout was never sealed properly so it looked
a little grungy. It was really cold in the winter
too. After all that, I have mixed feelings about
replacing it. . . go figure.

Demo man started chipping up the tile and the cement board
beneath it. He got to the vinyl that we had put down about 27
years ago (we had to cover up some lovely green and gold
indoor/outdoor carpeting.) This is a wet spot under the dishwasher. . .
that's never a good sign. Water damage!!

This is after the dishwasher was removed, the tile, cement board,
vinyl, sub floor and original plywood.

SIDENOTE. . . . .
Harmony and I had been out to a
great sale at Macy's, where we purchased
some fun new spring clothing and the ever
important new "foundations" in the
intimate apparel department.
We left Macy's to go to Costco
(I call it the two-hundred dollar store,
because you can NEVER get out of there
for under $200.00)
We were in the Costco parking lot getting ready to go home
when Boyd called and told Harmony to warn me that
I would need to go shopping for a new dishwasher
AND
refrigerator. Both were leaking.
ARGGGGGGGGGGGG
I wasn't about to take anything I got at Macy's back
and we have to eat, so the Costco purchases
couldn't go back!!

This is Boyd, a.k.a. Demo Man chipping away the tile.

He's actually sort of smiling here. I'm amazed at how much work
this guy can do by himself. He is freakishly strong and has
unbelievable stamina, and mostly he goes thru
life happy. What a blessing he is.

He was able to get all the tile chipped up.
Harmony started laughing when she saw this
vinyl underneath the tile. She started to remember the
wallpaper that was up when the vinyl was put down.
We had a little stroll
down memory lane.
There was no trace of
the indoor outdoor carpeting that was there before
the vinyl. It's weird that I'm excavating my own home,
going thru layers of our life.

Here's demo man stretched out in his red chair.
He deserves a break. My back is having sympathy pains for him.
After my Macy's and Costco purchases. Harmony and I went
and picked out a new dishwasher, fridge and since my microwave
is being a bit persnickety, I picked out a new one of those too.
I was being all Pollyanna-ish and positive and scheduled them to
be installed on May 7th. (keep you fingers crossed for me)
More to come as the work progresses.

Decision. . . . . settled

Mr. Boyd did some work in "trade" last December. He painted the home of a gentleman who installs wood floors. So, now it's time for me to get my new floors. I've decided I want walnut. I've been informed that it shows up dust and other "debris" better, but I so love the look.

But, our neighbor had some hickory installed (likeness above). It is harder and cheaper than the walnut. I went to see if I liked it. It was beautiful . . . . but not what I wanted.

So here is a look at some Walnut floors. I think I will have variable widths placed and a flat/no shine finish. As I was vacuuming my stairs last weekend, I was thinking to myself, I won't have to do this much longer. Along with new flooring, Boyd will be texturing my walls, rounding out the corners, painting and placing new baseboards. . . . . .yeah for me.

This Girl is 30. . . . . .

Not the little girl, but the bigger girl is 30 today. Happy big girl birthday!! Go find that pink wig and celebrate like your 21!!! Now there will be 3 kids to make your day bright!

Cindy Lu Who . . . . . . . .

This little cutie pa-too-tie came for a surprise spring visit.
This is Vivie with freshly painted fingernails. I'm doing better
with her than with her older sister.
There is a great story, about 12 bottles of polish,
a rug, a blankie and bedroom carpeting that goes
with her older sister when she was this age!!

She really likes me. . . . . . honest. It just took
a couple of days to warm up to me!!

Those blue eyes are pretty amazing.
They sort of take your breath away.
She has a most charming smile to go with them.

This is Vivvers playing in the bathroom.
Curiosity is boundless when you're little.

She did a great job of lining everything up on the
bench. She was so fun to be with.
It's hard to be 1300 miles away from this smile.

Megan, Vivien and Harmony out and about. Looking
for "stuff" nothing in particular, and everything
in general.

Miss Megan will be 30 in a couple of days.
This is a cheesecake she requested rather
than regular b-day cake.
Alex and Isaac was loving lighting
"as small brush fire" atop the
dessert!

Isaac helped her with the lighting ceremony and
blowing them out.
It was such fun having her here. I told her
since it is so hard to get everyone here, she
should rotate, and bring them each here
separately. She wasn't sure that was going
to happen. I've mentioned this in a previous
post, it should be illegal for grandchildren to be
more than 300 miles away!!! But if they do,
children need to post on their blogs more often.
(hint hint Megan & Aimee!!)

I'm feeling all sad and weepy. I've dropped Megan
and the youngest Taylor Tot off at the
airport. We just talked to Aimee. I'm thinking that
time is moving too fast. I'm missing the days
when my own children were small and
it seemed like a quiet afternoon was just
a sweet future dream. Here it is and I'm
wanting the chaos of little ones in my home.
*sigh*
I want to stop and smell the roses.
Enjoy the moment.
All those cliches I heard and ignored.
Where's the do-over button, there
are times I want it.

ummm. . . . . . .help

I was looking in the mirror the other day and I found some white hairs in my eyebrows! What is up with that? I have so few eyebrows that I must do the "fill-in" already. *sigh* Every day it gets harder and harder just to stay "incredibly average" I'm scared for when I cannot see my eyebrows, when I cannot draw a straight line with my eyeliner, when I cannot see my lip line to apply lipstick. I now know why Betty Davis started looking like she did toward the end. Wow!!

A Classic Shared. . . .

I have a daughter that has never had the good fortune of watching "The Sting" Ah, we remedied that last night. She and I cuddled up on my bed and popped in the disc. Another Scott Joplin lover is born. (along with Newman & Redford) She's gonna want to practice the piano. It's on my top-10 list. Definitely worth the price of admission.

HAPPY FEET!

Over the weekend I realized that it had been January since I had participated in any kind of retail therapy.
My Macy's card was sitting in my wallet feeling useless and unappreciated.
So, on Tuesday, I grabbed Harmony and we marched our sassy selves to the Macy's at the old Cottonwood Mall location.
I had coupons and there was a terrific shoe sale going on.
I spied the sweet slip-on pictured above in the circular that appeared in my mailbox the week before.
I had my heart set on them.
We purchased them. The size we needed were not in stock.
That's how popular they are.
They were able to find them at the "fulfillment center" (don't you love that name)
The sales clerk told me it would be 7-10 days.
That was Tuesday.
They arrived today.
Yipee Zipee.
I also purchased those sassy animal print slippers for Harmony.
We are happy.
Plus +++++
we each found a new "unmentionable"
in the intimate apparel department.
The "girls" are happy, perky and well supported!!!